Stephen Fry hit out today at Russian Twitter users who condemned his call for the Winter Olympics to be moved from their country because of its new anti-gay law.
As the row intensified, one of Fry’s Twitter followers, e_danilchenko, wrote: “You solve your British issues. Russians solve Russians’ problem.”
The Winter Games are due to be held in Sochi in 2014. But activists have protested at a new law in Russia making it illegal to give under-18s information about homosexuality, and Fry called for the event to be moved to a new host city.
He ridiculed the idea that outsiders could not intervene in cases of civil rights abuses in another country, saying: “That’s the rule is it? So we should have stayed out of Nazi Germany too. And any other unjust and cruel tyranny. I see.”
However, in further exchanges, he agreed other approaches might work, writing. “I was merely floating an idea. If Russian LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] people disagree, I accede.
“Let’s find another way of making our point.” He suggested sportsmen and women in Sochi could show support for civil rights in other ways, such as a salute when they win a medal.
The broadcaster also joined a protest outside Downing Street calling for a boycott of the Winter Games.
